Flower ID

(Question)

I don’t remember planting this flower, from seed or a cutting, but I have two big batches of it. It sort of looks like a defective coneflower but the foliage seems wrong. It is growing in full sun

(Answer)

The plant ID question appears to be Mexican Hat coneflower – Ratibidia columnifera.

Mexican coneflower or Praire coneflower  is native to the mid-west. It is an easy to grow drought tolerant plant with fine medium grey-green foliage. The flowers feature black, cone-shaped heads with drooping bright red and yellow petals resembling a ‘sombrero’, hence the  common name of  “Mexican Hat”.

This perennial coneflower, is sometimes grown as an annual.  It needs average, dry to medium, well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soils in full sun and is  drought resistant.

For more information on this lovely perennial, refer to the following links:

www.finegardening.com/mexican-hat-ratibida-columnifera

www.westcoastseeds.com/how-to-grow-guides/how-to-grow-ratibida/